This morning just after 6a Toledo Police Chief George Kral held a press conference along with Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz to offer details on the shooting that took the life of 26 year old TPD officer Anthony Dia. Dia was shot and killed early Saturday morning while responding to a call at Home Depot on West Alexis near Lewis. According to police, Officer Dia was dispatched to check the well being of a man who showed signs of intoxication.
Witnesses on the scene told police the suspect turned and fired at Officer Dia, who was able to return fire before he was struck. Dia was transported to Toledo Hospital where he later died of the wounds suffered. Backup officers on the scene started looking for the man, who witnesses reported was in a wooded area near the parking lot. A drone and canine officers were used to trace the suspect.
Officers reported a gunshot coming from the wooded area. At 3:15 a.m., officers found the suspect, a 57-year-old man, dead from a gunshot injury to his head, according to Kral.
Mayor Kapszukiewicz said that officer Dia was Muslim and that he was someone who contributed to the reason why the U.S. and Toledo are so great. He ended his statement asking the public to pray for him, whether they pray to the God Dia prayed to or not.
"On behalf of the city of Toledo, I offer heartfelt condolences to our family, which today has a broken heart and will never forget the contributions and sacrifices of Anthony Dia," he said.
Dia leaves behind a wife and two children.